Shoe construction



July 5, 1938.

C. L. DALY SHOE QoNs'rRucTIoN Filed Sept. 22; 19s? INVENTOR. D01 7 I aha/Zea Zea QM/660.4%

ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 5, 193s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Applieation September 22, 1937, seria1' No. 165,135

5 Claims.

This invention relates to shoe construction, and particularly to an inexpensive workshoe.

Such shoes are sold in a highly competitive market and manufacturers are constantly seeking to reduce costs by eifeeting economies in thaterials and manufacturing operations. a

As a result, this type of shoe has become substantially standardized as to its construction and materials. Generally it is a nailed shoe with a rubber outsole, leather midsol e and a so-ca'll'd tuek shank of leather or imitation leather stapled therein, although sometimes the tuck shank is of horn fibre cemented or otherwise faste'ried in place. i The use of either the-stapled tuck shank or the horn fibre shank involves an extra operation which adds to the cost ofthe shoe. Neither type of shank, moreover, is entirely satisfactory, diie to its tendency to swell up and work loose when the shoe is Wetted in service.

Broadly, the object of my present invention is to produce a shoe of this general type which can be manufatured at a substantial saving over present methods and which will be superior in point of appearance, comfort and serviceability to shoes now on the market.

In attaining this object, I provide a composite or multi-layer outsole of vulcanized rubber, comprising an outer or wear layer and a top or inner layer. The outer layer is of substantial thickness and is preferably of conventional black rubber color. The top or inner layer extends over only the heel and shank portions of the outsole, terminating in the region of the rear edge of the conventional midsole. It is generally colored tan in simulation of the midsole of which optically it appears to be a continuation in the finished shoe, being of approximately the same thickness as the midsole, and preferably also being so contoured as to provide an included pocket for the reception of a conventional shank stiffener.

The outsole may be full length or three-quarter length. If of full length it may be molded in the region of the heel piece of the shoe to provide either an inner layer which simulates in thickness and color the conventional leather heel piece of the shoe or the inner layer may terminate at this point and the outer layer itself may be thickened to provide a heel piece portion substantially of the same thickness as the conventional leather heel piece, in which latter event, however, such thickened heel piece portion might or might not be colored to simulate leather. If of three-quarter length, the outer layer may terminate iii the region of the conventional leather heel piece and the inner layer ma be extended rearwardly to provide a heel piece portion simu- Iating in thickness and color the conventional 1 leather heel piece. Such three-quarter sole is 5 particularly useful with a cupped rubber heel such as disclosed my prior Patent No. 2,025,647,

of December 24, 1935.

My invention avoids the necessity of euttin'g the leather tuck shank to sha e, skivirig'at both 10 ends, and stapling or otherwise fastening it to the outsole, while at the sametime retaining the optical effect of the leather tuck shank. Being molded as an integral part of the outsole the shank-forming portions of the inner layer are 15 ermanent and there is no' problem of their becoming l'c'iose or distorted when the shoe is melted in service.

In the accompanying drawing? Fig. I is a perspective View of a conventional work shoe equipped with a full length outsole in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspeetiv'e View of such outsole removed.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross section on ap- 2 proximately the line 33, of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a modified outsole, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a still n further modification of the outsole, the same be- 0 ing especially adapted for use with a cupped rubber heel such as shown in the Daly patent aforesaid.

I have indicated generally at II] a shoe of the work shoe type constructed of the usual upper 35 materials I I, and equipped with conventional insole l2, midsole l4, and heel tap l5 of rubber or leather, as desired. These parts are assembled in the usual manner with my novel outsole indicated generally at 16.

The outsole is of composite or multi-layer molded rubber construction and may be either full length as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, or threequarter length as shown in Fig. 5. It consists of a bottom or Wear layer ll of conventional thickness, and a relatively thin top or inner layer 18 of different optical characteristics. Preferably, but not necessarily, the bottom layer is colored or scuffed to show the conventional black of rubber, and preferably the upper layer is 001- 50 ored tan in simulation of leather.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 the inner layer I8 extends over the rear and shank portions only of the bottom layer 11, terminating in the region of the rearwardly skived rear edge of the midsole. In the region of the shank the marginal portions I9 of the inner layer l8 constitute a built-up tuck shank as well as defining an included pocket 20 for the reception of a convention shank stiffener. The marginal portions l9 are co-planar with the heel base portion 2| of the inner layer [8 if the outsole is a full sole as illustrated in Fig. 2. At their forward ends said marginal portions 19 of the inner layer 18 are forwardly beveled as at 22 and merge with the bottom layer ll of the outsole.

In a completed shoe having the outsole of Fig. 2, the rearwardly beveled end of the leather midsole 4 overlaps and matches perfectly with 1 the forwardly inclined portions 22 of the marginal portions IQ of the inner layer l8 of such outsole, exhibiting no perceptible break or line of demarcation, and said marginal portions [9 and the heel base portion 2| optically extend as continuations of the midsole, and being of substantially the same thickness and color as said midsole give the effect of an all leather edge completely around the shoe.

In the modification of Fig. 4, the outsole is also of full length, but the inner layer l8 terminates in the region of the heel piece of the shoe and the outer layer I1 is thickened as at 24 to provide a heel piece section of equivalent thickness to the conventional leather heel piece of the shoe. to simulate leather, if desired, but ordinarily is left in its natural black or dark color.

Where, as in Fig. 5, a three-quarter outsole 25 and a cupped heel 26 of the type disclosed in the Daly patent aforesaid is used, the rear or cut end of the bottom layer H is preferably rear- Wardly beveled as indicated at 21 to fit Within the depressed shelf area of the cupped heel, the inner layer l8 of the outsole extending as a heel piece portion 28 which simulates in color and thickness the usual leather heel piece of the shoe, and in this respect also simulating the heel base portion 2! of the full outsole shown in Fig. 2.

Various other modifications in construction and materials may obviously be resorted to within the This thickened section 24 may be colored spirit and scope of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. A shoe, comprising upper materials, a heel, a midsole, and a composite rubber outsole including an outer or wear layer of substantial thickness and an inner layer of reduced thickness and contrasting color extending forwardly over the rear portion of the outsole and terminating at substantially the rear edge of the midsole, said inner layer presenting in the shank region of the shoe marginal edges which in color and thickness give the optical effect of being continuations of the midsole.

2. The shoe of claim 1, the inner layer of the outsole extending as a heel base portion which is substantially co-planar with said marginal edges and in the heel base area of the shoe gives the optical efiect of the conventional leather heel piece.

3. The shoe of claim 1, the marginal edges of the inner layer of the outsole being forwardly beveled at their juncture with the midsole.

4. The shoe of claim 1, the marginal edges of the inner layer of the outsole defining with each other an included pocket for the reception of a shank stiffener.

5. A shoe, comprising upper materials, a midsole, and a cupped heel, and a composite rubber 1 outsole including an outer layer of three-quarter length and of substantial thickness and an inner layer of reduced thickness and contrasting color extending forwardly over the rear portion of the outsole and terminating at substantially the rear edge of the midsole, said inner layer presenting in the shank region of the shoe marginal edges which in color and thickness give the optical effect of being continuations of the midsole, and the rear portion of said inner layer extending as a heel base portion which is substantially coplanar With said marginal edges and in the heel base area of the shoe gives the optical effect of the conventional heel piece.

CHARLES LEO DALY. 

